Eutelsat strikes multi-year broadcasting deal with Digiturk

Eutelsat has struck a multi-year video capacity agreement with Digiturk that will see the satellite firm provide multi-transponder services through its Eutelsat 7a satellite.

The deal extends an existing collaboration that began in 2000 which saw the launch of Digiturk beIN MEDIA’s pay-TV platform, the first of its kind in Turkey.

The updated agreement will see Digiturk use 17 transponders on the Eutelsat 7A satellite to broadcast 221 channels to around 3.5 million subscribers. Its content includes the Turkish Football Super League and the Tahincioglu Basketball Super League.

Digiturk was acquired by Qatari media firm beIN Media Group, part of Al Jazeera Media Network, in August 2016. It operates in 40 countries across five coninents, and oversaw Digiturk’s launch of Turkey’s first Ultra HD channel.

Yousef Al-Obaidly, CEO of Digiturk, said: “We are very happy to continue our agreement with Eutelsat, our solution partner since Digiturk launched. The beIN Media Group believes in the future of this country and its market, and plans to continue its investments. The most important focus for us during this transformation process is customer satisfaction.

“The renewal of our agreement with Eutelsat underpins this belief. In pursuing our relationship with Eutelsat our subscribers can continue to focus their antennas to the 7° East position and we can provide service continuity through a colocated Eutelsat satellite. With Eutelsat, we are continuing our successful journey to make our business much stronger.”

Digiturk’s services will be broadcast exclusively from Eutelsat’s 7° East video neighbourhood, with backup capacity also available from the Eutelsat 7B satellite.

It is one of a number of deals recently announced by Eutelsat, who also recently announced a partner with UK-based connectivity firm Arqiva for broadcasting services in the UK and Ireland.

Similar to its agreement with Digiturk, the multi-year Arqiva deal covers high-powered transponders at 28° East, reinforcing "Arqiva’s position as a leading service provider for DTH services in the UK and Ireland", Eutelsat said.

Rodolphe Belmer, CEO of Eutelsat, said: “We are delighted to pursue a relationship that is now in its 17th year with Digiturk.The power and reach of our EUTELSAT 7A satellite ensures that Turkish TV homes have access to compelling content and innovation that continues to enhance their viewing experience.

“We look forward to taking our collaboration to a new level and to supporting Digiturk’s drive to remain in the vanguard of Turkey’s broadcast market.”